Turkish authorities have detained 64 people accused of “making provocative comments” on social media in relation to the two earthquakes that hit the southeast of the country eight days ago, leaving more than 41,000 dead in Turkish territory and Syria, according to official data. recent.
Of that total, 17 suspects were taken to prison, according to a statement from the Turkish security directorate this Tuesday (14), which also indicated that the administrators of 531 accounts on social networks in which such comments were made were identified.
The Turkish press claims that among those arrested there are people who gave false information on social media. One of them, for example, allegedly claimed that three buildings in Sanliurfa had collapsed in the aftershocks following last week’s Monday earthquakes.
On the other hand, many Turkish citizens complained on social media after the earthquake about the lack of help and the delay of rescue teams.
Turkey passed a controversial disinformation law in October last year that punishes the spread of “fake news” with up to three years in prison.
The regulations have been criticized by the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) – as well as several international NGOs – because their vague definitions and broad scope can lead to “arbitrary and politically motivated actions at the expense of freedom of expression”.
Turkish authorities also said on Tuesday that they had closed 46 websites for fraudulently asking citizens for help.
The statement adds that 15 social media accounts were also identified that demanded money from citizens using or imitating the name of official institutions.
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